Flash Flooding and Hail in Virginia, September 9, 1999

Name: Flash Flooding and Hail in Virginia, September 9, 1999
Start: 1999-09-09T13:50
End: 1999-09-09T20:00
Location: Virginia

September 9, 1999 · NWS LWX · 13 events in 9 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $35,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 13

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS LWX wrote it up.

A round of thunderstorms producing damaging winds, hail, and very heavy rainfall moved across Northern Virginia between 2:30 PM and 9:00 PM EDT. The city of Waynesboro reported downed trees and power lines after winds between 50 and 60 MPH moved through. A quick 1.79 inches of rain flooded many roads including Kirby and A Streets, and sent small creeks out of their banks. Nelson County reported a long period of stormy weather. Pea to dime sized hail fell on Afton Mountain between 2:45 PM and 2:50 PM EDT. Heavy rains fell across the remainder of the county for the following two hours, flooding roadways and causing a mudslide that blocked Highway 29 near Route 617. Streets were flooded in Lovingston and Faber. A gauge at Rockfish recorded 1.77 inches of rain in 60 minutes, and another gauge 10 miles south of Schuyler reported a total of 2.44 inches. High winds also knocked down a number of trees and power lines across Nelson County. Albemarle County reported 227 power outages after high winds downed trees onto power lines in the Free Union area. Heavy rain also pounded the county, flooding roads between Charlottesville and Afton Mountain. In Greene County, the North Fork of the Rivana River swelled out of its banks. High winds across Madison County downed several trees between 6:15 PM and 6:30 PM EDT. The city of Madison received 2.59 inches of rain, and a gauge northwest of town on the edge of Shenandoah National Park reported 1.93 inches. In Culpeper County, several streets in the city of Culpeper flooded. The city of Sperryville in Rappahannock County also reported flooded roadways. Castleton reported 2.2 inches of rain and Massie's Corner reported 1.52 inches. Nearby in Front Royal, 2.38 inches fell. In Loudoun County, city streets were flooded in Leesburg and Arcola. Dulles International Airport received a total of 1.33 inches. The community of Arcola was also hit by 50 to 60 MPH winds which downed trees onto Route 621 and 659. Fairfax County also reported high winds which downed trees between McLean and the city of Fairfax.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 flash flood, 5 thunderstorm wind, 2 heavy rain, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Nelson

When: September 9, 1:50 PM EST
Where: Nelson County, Afton
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.030, -78.850

Dime sized hail on Afton Mountain

Flash Flood, Waynesboro (C)

When: September 9, 3:00 PM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where: Waynesboro (C) County, Waynesboro
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 38.069, -78.889 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Small streams out of banks, Kirby Avenue and A Street flooded

Thunderstorm Wind, Waynesboro (C)

When: September 9, 3:10 PM EST
Where: Waynesboro (C) County, Waynesboro
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 38.070, -78.880

Trees and power lines downed

Flash Flood, Albemarle

When: September 9, 4:00 PM EST to 5:45 PM EST
Where: Albemarle County, Countywide
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 38.023, -78.556 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flooding concentrated between Charlottesville and Afton Mountain

Flash Flood, Greene

When: September 9, 4:45 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where: Greene County, Countywide
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 38.298, -78.467 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flooding along North Fork of Rivana River

Flash Flood, Nelson

When: September 9, 5:00 PM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where: Nelson County, Countywide
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 37.787, -78.887 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Mudslide on Highway 29 near Route 617, water over roads in Lovingston and Faber, trees and power lines downed

Thunderstorm Wind, Madison

When: September 9, 5:15 PM EST to 5:30 PM EST
Where: Madison County, Countywide
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.420, -78.300

Trees downed

Thunderstorm Wind, Fairfax

When: September 9, 5:20 PM EST
Where: Fairfax County, Mc Lean
Property damage: $500
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.930, -77.170

Tree downed

Thunderstorm Wind, Albemarle

When: September 9, 5:30 PM EST
Where: Albemarle County, Free Union
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.170, -78.570

Trees downed

Heavy Rain, Culpeper

When: September 9, 6:00 PM EST to 8:00 PM EST
Where: Culpeper County, Culpeper
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 38.486, -77.956 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Streets flooded

Heavy Rain, Loudoun

When: September 9, 6:00 PM EST to 6:30 PM EST
Where: Loudoun County, Countywide
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 39.091, -77.636 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Streets flooded in Leesburg and Arcola

Thunderstorm Wind, Loudoun

When: September 9, 6:10 PM EST
Where: Loudoun County, Arcola
Property damage: $2,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 38.950, -77.530

Trees downed along Route 621 and 659

Flash Flood, Rappahannock

When: September 9, 7:00 PM EST to 8:00 PM EST
Where: Rappahannock County, Sperryville
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 38.685, -78.159 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Streets and creeks flooded

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Heavy Rain: Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Virginia in 1999 Every state in 1999 This day in weather history Warnings in Virginia, September 1999

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5717953, 5717954, 5717955, 5717956, 5717958, 5717960, 5717959, 5717961, 5717957, 5717962, 5718054, 5717964, 5717963.